


Creation of Horses, The

by HASA_Archivist



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Canon - Engaging gap-filler, Canon - Enhances original, Plot - Good pacing, Poetry, Pre-Years of the Trees, Subjects - Animals, Subjects - Culture(s), Subjects - Legends/Myth/History, Writing - Clear prose, Writing - Engaging style, Writing - Every word counts, Writing - Evocative, Writing - Mythic/Poetic, Writing - Well-handled PoV(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-27
Updated: 2015-06-27
Packaged: 2018-04-06 08:57:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4215623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HASA_Archivist/pseuds/HASA_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This song tells the Rohirric myth of the creation of horses.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Creation of Horses, The

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the HASA Transition Team: This story was originally archived at [HASA](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Henneth_Ann%C3%BBn_Story_Archive), which closed in February 2015. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in February 2015. We posted announcements about the move, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please contact The HASA Transition Team using the e-mail address on the [HASA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hasa/profile).

Hwaet! Listen. Hwaet! Hearken. Horns blow.  
Can you hear their calling? Can you hear them?  
Echoes sounding, echoes fading, old songs stirring.

Darkness covered dale and mountain; dawn was waiting.  
Stars were sprinkled, sown in blackness,  
Blackness deep beneath the night. Bema hunted.  
Great the hunter, gift-giver, gold was his hair,  
Strong his sword, swift in battle.  
Foes they feared him, fierce and mighty.

Hearken! Hear his horn is sounded.  
Bold the blowing, birthed are echoes  
Rippling, running down rill and fold;  
Shadows shatter, shimmer, form.

Dreams awaken, dancing, drawn are visions  
Roused from darkness, roused by horn-call, running swiftly.  
Bema then beheld them, bold wind-runners.

Four legs he fashioned from the earth,  
Muscles he molded from the mud,  
Held high aloft the head so proud,  
Fair springs flowing filled their veins—  
River water. Rippling streams run so swift.  
From flint and iron forged four hooves he made;  
The growing grass that in green waves blows,  
He set to swing as silken mane and tail.

Many made he, mares and stallions,  
Clothed and coated in colors fair.  
Dappled daylight, dun from ripe barley,  
Blood and earth blended, bay he made,  
From the fallow dirt, farmers’ joy: brown,  
Black was born from boldest nightshade,  
Snow from high slopes, softest white,  
From great clouds gathered storm-grey cloaks.  
Starlight and sunlight and scattered moon-beams  
He laid on coat and limb to light and glisten.

Wild and wandering, the wind arose,  
Blew its breath through bone and sinew,  
Stirred and strengthened straight limbs clean.  
Then Bema he blew a bold horn-note,  
Awakened echoes in each proud steed—  
Spirits fair and strong, horn-song in their hearts,  
Clarion-clear, horn-calls in each voice.

Hwaet! Listen. Hwaet! Hearken. Horns and hoofbeats.  
Can you hear their coming? Can you hear them?  
Echoes sounding, echoes rising, old songs stirring.

*******

Author's notes:

Bema is the Rohirric name for Orome. The word: ‘hwaet’ is an Anglo-Saxon word that means, in this context: Lo! Hark!, an attention-getting interjection.

Bema and Rohan belong to J.R.R. Tolkien. The myth of the creation of horses belongs to me.


End file.
